The Need for a New Accreditation Paradigm

Accreditation processes that are more responsive to the needs of the whole child
and the whole school


In our conversations with nontraditional educators all over the United States and beyond, we've consistently heard a demand for accreditation services that value each school's mission, vision, and educational approach. They tell us that they need an approach that values the human spirit and the development of the child as a whole. Children need to be supported in emotional well-being and other non-academic facets of the whole child that are crucial in reaching their highest potential and finding meaning in life. Accreditation processes must be designed to adapt to the unique needs of your school and the community it serves.

Moreover, we need accreditation systems that value key whole-child principles and practices to meet student-centered, developmentally appropriate environments that are safe, engaging, and respectful of diverse needs. The accreditation criteria also must include evaluation of teaching practices that support, develop, and promote educators in fully meeting the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of each student while supporting the wholeness of human spirit.

Whole-child development (and home-based) education varies in the approaches schools take to meet the needs of learners, so there is a need for an accreditation organization that acknowledges and embraces diverse approaches and meaningfully connects with schools to develop, foster, and sustain whole-child development practices.

What the world needs now is an accrediting process that focuses on whole-child-focused educational qualities like these:

  • Relationship-based education
  • Student-centered practices
  • Emergent curriculum
  • Developmentally appropriate classrooms and curriculum
  • Integrated learning
  • Metacognitive awareness (students learn how they learn)
  • School culture of inspiration and meaning
  • Project-based learning
  • Self-reflection as part of the culture
  • Interpersonal curriculum
  • Family engagement and parent support
  • Community involvement
  • Teacher presence and authenticity as central to teaching practice
  • Emphasis on each child’s potential as a whole person
  • Faculty support
  • Employee wellness
  • Coordination of school policies, processes, and practices that support the whole child, the whole family, and the whole school's teachers and staff
  • Restorative (rather than punitive) responses to conflict
  • Interpersonal curriculum
  • Holistic practices

So, how can we meet this need? Read about our solution here.